In May, it appeared Twin City Catering had fallen upon difficult financial times.

The private business, which operates within the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s headquarters on West River Road, had asked the Park Board whether it could renegotiate its lease. Hoping to lower its rent, it was seeking to jettison its event center space.

Before any contract renegotiations could get started, the Park Board commissioners had to give approval. They were supposed to do so at their May 21 regular meeting.

But in the days leading up to that meeting, citizen watchdogs cried foul.

Park Watch, a common critic of the Park Board, pleaded with President Tom Nordyke not to approve the renegotiations based on one fact: Twin City Catering, under contract since 2003, had just been given its very first tax bill.

The company had not been dodging taxes — it turned out they had never before been assessed.
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Central Business District

Hell’s Kitchen will shut down in mid-September and reopen where Rossi’s Steakhouse is now at 80 S. 9th St.

A Rossi’s Steakhouse manager said Rossi’s last night of operation is Sept. 4, and the restaurant will not relocate.

Hell’s Kitchen co-owner Mitch Omer said he plans to reopen Hell’s Kitchen between Oct. 1 and Oct. 13. He said they would stage live Gospel music on Sundays and expand the restaurant to fit the Rossi’s space, which is three times larger than Hell’s Kitchen’s current storefront at 89 S. 10th St.

Hell’s Kitchen currently serves only breakfast and lunch, but the new location would offer dinner as well. The dinner menu would feature new entrees and incorporate part of the Duluth Hell’s Kitchen menu, as well as some of Rossi’s selections.

Omer said the owners spent the past year looking for a new home. The developer of The Nicollet condominium project owns their 10th Street building and said the restaurant might need to move to accommodate construction.
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East Bank

The 2nd Precinct’s beat cop Elliot Wong said in mid-August he had already started booting campers from the riverfront, telling a half-dozen people in town for the convention to
move along.

It is illegal to camp on Minneapolis Park property without a permit.

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Greasing the wheels: pedicab hours expanded

Council members made a few moves Aug. 22 in an attempt to free up the previously restrictive limitations placed on pedicabs, the pedal-powered, nonmotorized personal transit.

Minneapolis has allowed pedicabs since 1984, however, the practice was tightly regulated. Currently, there are no licensed pedicabs in the city.

However, under a recently passed ordinance change, pedicabs can now operate Downtown anytime, except weekday rush hour (7–9 a.m. and 4–6 p.m.).

Other changes will allow pedicabs on the 3rd Avenue bridge, Hennepin Avenue bridge, and the bus lanes of Hennepin Avenue, Marquette Avenue, and 2nd Avenue South.

They will not be allowed on sidewalks. But due to an amendment by Council Member Lisa Goodman (7th Ward), they will be allowed on Nicollet Mall.

“I think pedicabs are a really good thing for Downtown,” Goodman said. “Given that buses are coming off [Nicollet] Mall, it would make sense that it would be a great pedicab route.”

Just after the approval, Mayor R.T. Rybak hustled into Council Chambers and agreed with the Council’s decision to grease the wheels for city pedicabs.

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The Dandy Warhols’ name is more than just a clever take on The Factory’s most famous worker. The band’s music and mannerisms are colored (in Campbell’s Soup red) by Andy Warhol’s legendary contradictions — namely, his ability to remain a detached insider. Just as Warhol appropriated brand images to challenge assumptions about art and consumerism, The Dandy Warhols dissect the ever-unstable definition of “popular” music with the music itself.

This approach is evident — overt, even — on “Welcome to the Third World,” the third track from the group’s most recent album, “Earth to the Dandy Warhols” (released for download on May 19 and on CD Aug. 18). The song acts as a kind of musical double agent: disco is so passé it’s cool, so it must be passé — though secretly it’s cool.

And, of course, none of the song’s implied social commentary is even peripherally addressed. Instead of protesting third-world poverty (or perhaps making a statement on America’s economic decline), The Dandies sing of dance floor conquest: “Why don’t we go back to my place so we can talk about Dostoevsky?” It’s in the ear of the beholder, however, whether this self-conscious joke qualifies as poignant or pointless.

As with their namesake, the band’s cultivated detachment sometimes gets tedious. In their 14 years together, this tendency has probably never been more infuriating than on “Musee D’Nougat,” also from the new album. The final track is not so much a fond wave goodbye as it is the extension of a certain finger: for nearly 15 minutes, incoherent vocals babble over directionless synth tones. The Dandy Warhols are also hopelessly inconsistent, fortunately enough.
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Date: Aug. 26

Time: 9:07 a.m.

Location: On the corner of 11th Street South & LaSalle


“Actually, I am not going through much right now. I am on my to work in St. Louis Park as a customer service representative. They’re changing the game up a little bit at work, like certain policies and the way we do things. They are making it a little bit difficult. I guess all that is coming from the higher ups. ... I am indifferent to the changes right now, I am just riding it out right now and wherever it takes me it takes me. If I see that it’s not going to work out, then I’ll make the moves to make it better for me.”
Editor's note: “Transitions” is a portrait series by photographer Robb Long that highlights people passing through Downtown. 
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If the rain doesn’t slow down Downtown drivers today, the Republican National Convention surely will. Today is Tuesday, the day the city says traffic congestion could start getting heavy.

Major traffic snarls aren’t expected, according to a city news release, but expect delays similar to those felt during major Downtown events. Short-term lane or street closures could occur. If Monday was any indication, there will be plenty of traffic control officers out and about.

At the same time, there will be parking, the release said. Though the convention is bringing 45,000 people to the Twin Cities, many of them are coming without their own cars. That means lots will remain largely empty. Keep an eye out, though, for street parking changes. Some spots may have been closed for the convention.
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Watch video of the rally 

What are expected to be thousands of supporters of former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul descended upon the Target Center this morning. They’re expected to stay all day for Paul’s “Rally for the Republic.”

Supporters headed toward the Center in the middle of the morning, and by 11 a.m., they were chanting loudly and inspiring passersby to honk their horns. Never mind the fact they were doing it in the cold of a never-ending drizzle.

James Gragg stood on the corner of 1st Avenue & 7th Street with goosebumped arms stretched out holding a “Dump McCain” sign. A former and current member of the Republican Party, Gragg said he hadn’t been inspired by a Republican candidate since Richard Nixon — until he heard about Paul. Presumed Republican candidate John McCain doesn’t fit his tastes.

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Read more stories about: Republican National Convention

CivicFest, a weeklong celebration of Minnesota and United States history, is now a free event.

Perhaps in keeping with Republican presidential nominee John McCain's call to charity, organizers are now asking patrons, instead of paying the $15 entry, make a donation for hurricane relief.

The event, held at the Convention Center, 1201 2nd Ave. S. still has plans to run through 5 p.m. Sept. 4.

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An exhibition on solar power rolled into town today to join CivicFest at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

The City Tour for Solar has been traveling around the country and from convention to convention to educate politicians, city leaders and the general public about the use of solar energy.

Through interactive demonstrations, the tour — which arrived in bio-diesel-fueled trucks — provides practical information on how to plan and implement solar programs.
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Staffing firm Salo keeps employees moving

If your working life is spent in front of a computer screen, you can hardly be blamed for gaining a few extra pounds over the course of your career.

Dr. James Levine, an endocrinologist based at the Mayo Clinic, points to sitting as an important culprit of weight gain. His research has found that obese individuals tend to sit two-and-a-half more hours per day than lean people.

So what’s a Downtown office worker to do?

Salo LLC, a professional staffing firm based at 13th Street & Harmon Avenue, has taken Levine’s research to heart and installed over a dozen treadmill desks in its office. The $6,000 setup looks like a standard treadmill that is outfitted with an adjustable countertop. There’s a phone jack for a headset and a computer attached to the table. Employees can pull up their home computer’s desktop right at the walking workstation.

On a Wednesday last month at 9 a.m., treadmills were already in use inside two meeting rooms, and a handful of staff members were using the treadmill desks while typing or talking on the phone. Top walking speeds on the treadmill hit just two miles an hour, but Levine says the simple movement can still burn hundreds of calories in a day.

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Most of Downtown’s special events during the Republican National Convention are private or require sizable donations, but it’s still nice to know who is partying into the wee hours next door.

Ron Paul’s followers are staking out Club Jäger, for example, and Newt Gingrich hosted a documentary presentation Aug. 31 at the Hennepin Center for the Arts. Ralph Nader is at Orchestra Hall, and Google is throwing a party at the Walker Art Center.

Many states are hosting delegate luncheons Downtown at places like Brit’s Pub, a venue that will completely shut down to the public during the convention.

The 1st Precinct reports that most Downtown road closures probably won’t last more than 30 minutes, and extra staff are assigned t

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Read more stories about: Republican National Convention

Downtown Minneapolis has been getting dressed up in preparation for the Republican National Convention. Streets have been swept, windows washed and new planters have been installed on Hennepin Avenue.

More than 100 years ago, Downtown got the same polishing when the GOP brought its national convention to Minnesota for the first time.

“By Saturday, this town ought to resemble a mammoth peach orchard in full blossom,” the Minneapolis Journal reported on Friday, June 4 as the 1892 Republican Convention was about to
get underway.

“Down Hennepin Avenue for the entire length, a rapid transformation is being effected. Flags are being hung from all the windows, the fronts of the buildings are being draped with bunting and the windows of the stores are taking on effects in gay colors. All the Nicollet Avenue merchants are getting a lively move on themselves. The Minneapolis Dry Goods Company has an elaborate display of color in the windows. The designs are good, and the front of the entire block is most artistically ornamented,” The Tribune effused.

Down the street, at the point where Hennepin and Nicollet intersected, City Hall displayed a huge banner announcing “the City is Yours,” just above a three-foot long gilded key.
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New aloft hotel offers hip, creative comforts for city’s visitors 

The first night the aloft hotel was open at 900 Washington Ave. S., about 50 locals packed into the “w xyz bar” to check out the new nightspot.

“We’ve been really busy,” said Amy Phillips, the aloft’s director of sales and marketing. “We are truly in a residential area.”

Multicolored columns flip around to display liquor bottles behind the bar. Only local beers such as Surly and Summit are on tap, and the hotel concocts it own elixirs, such as vodka infused with ginger and pear.

The lobby — “re:mix,” that is — is open to the public until midnight, although it could remain open until 2
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Would it be a protest to display a melting ice sculpture of the word “democracy,” to perform gay liberation art, to speak out on a soapbox or parade down Nicollet Mall for liberty? Not exactly. The UnConvention is not about protesting. It is a collective umbrella — bringing together nonpartisan alternative art and media — with a mission to project the voices of the public.

With nearly 20 projects and events planned during the Republican National Convention, The UnConvention is certainly going to be noticed. 

Intermedia Arts, 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., will be the hub of The UnConvention activities. Marlina Gonzalez, programs manager of Intermedia Arts, says, “our building will be transformed into the gathering place for local and national artists, educators, alternative journalists and the general public to interact around issues related to participatory democracy.”

Every inch of the space will be spewing with alternative political voices. Even the air will be transmitting new types of media; photographs, video loops, and audio/visual art will possess the gallery walls and screens. 

The UnConvention is in no way part of the assembly that plans to protest in front of the Xcel Energy Center.
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Bastille Day, and Vincent was all over it, pulling popular “Power to the People” dishes from his kitchen bag of tricks to celebrate liberte, egalite and  fraternite at the table. OK, he can cook for the “Let Them Eat Cake” crowd, too (unbelievers, taste the chocolate tart), but this young Frenchman’s head isn’t in the Michelin stars, it belongs to a chef whose feet are planted firmly on the ground here in the heartlands: on the hearty, comfort-cookin’ bistro food that truly fuels his native land.

Oh, he’s cooked fois gras for the swells of Manhattan, but, moving to Minnesota, he’s wisely suited his style to those of us in blue collars as well as silk cravats, and larded his menu with homey fare like, well, like lardons.

Lardons is just a pretty name for bacon. And, along with its prototypical partner, a fresh egg, it’s the star of the salad I’m crazy for. Vincent calls it a Lyonnaise Salad — probably because in that dining-destination city, they eat any and every animal part they can spear with a fork, so homely bacon gets its place in the sun. But I also encounter it (thank the Lord) at every single old-time mom-and-pop bistro in Paris. And it’s almost as well revered right here on the Nicollet Mall.

Here’s the deal. To architect this classic appetizer, you start with a good-sized handful of frisky little greens. You pile on a plentiful heap of those lardons — burly snippets, in this case, of sweet, meaty bacon from South St. Paul’s stockyards. You then use the bacon fat (there’s no better word, so just live with it) to whip up a warm vinaigrette dressing that gently wilts the field of greens.

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A roundup of exhibits and performances during the RNC

The Unconvention is the massive umbrella over most of the arts events scheduled during the Republican National Convention, but it is by no means the end-all of RNC-related cultural happenings.

There is yet more to see and do in late August and early September at tiny galleries, major institutions and many places in between.

Still, Minneapolis by no means must import its political satire. We have the longest-running satirical comedy theater in the nation right: the Brave New Workshop.

“Every major election and most minor ones, too, we’ve done an election-based show,” said Caleb McEwen, director of “The Lion, the Witch, and the War Hero; Or is McCain Able?” — the theater’s follow-up to this spring’s 50th anniversary show.

The election-themed show opened in July, but the sketches will continue to grow and evolve as the campaign season picks up steam on the way to Nov. 4.
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Julie Swenson (top) owns Smart and Chic Bride. She gives out business cards studded with earrings and she is based in a studio at the Ford Centre with Sarah Sponberg, the owner of Minnesota Bridal Makeup Artistry.

The studio, a bright space at 420 N. 5th St., offers airbrush tanning as well as hair and makeup for bridal parties.

If you have a unique or interesting workspace, or know of someone who does, contact us at dtjournal@mnpubs.com or 1115 Hennepin Ave. S. Minneapolis, 55403.



1 Swenson churns through half a box of bobby pins per bride — that works out to about 100 bobby pins for each styling.

2 Ever since Swenson had a
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Artists from Juxtaposition Arts in North Minneapolis will use chalk and water colors this morning to decorate the sidewalk in front of Chambers Hotel at Hennepin Avenue and 9th Street.

The event was put together as a way for the Chambers to welcome visitors during the Republican National Convention (RNC) and tout its artsy side. The hotel is booked for the RNC and is also displaying a politically themed exhibit called “Important if Tue (Hootenanny in E)” in its Burnet Gallery.



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